Washing and stirring apparatus



Dec. 20, 1927. 1,653,281

' H. L. HESS WASHING AND STIRRING APPARATUS Filed July 8. 1926 2Sheets-Sheet 1 ZEMWQM 7 BY ATTORNEYS Dec. 20, 1927. 1,653,281

, H. L. HESS WASHING AND STIRRING APPARATUS Filed July s. 1926 2Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES lNVENTOR 7 JERBERTLJYESS ATTORNEYS PatentedDec. 20, 1927.

UNITED STATES HERBERT LEOPOLD HESS, F UTUADopPoRTo RICO.

. WASHINGQAND s'rmnnve APPARATUS.

Application filed July 8, 1926. Serial No. 121,240.

This invention relates toan apparatus for removing the lees from ripecoffee berries whose outer hulls have been removed;

It is well known that a coffee berry has an outer skin or bark, and thatwhen this outer skin or bark is taken ofi, there is usually found in"the berry two grains.

covered by another hard skin or bark which is later removed after dryingthe grain. These things are done to produce marketable coffee grain-s.It has been found that after the first skin or hull is removed fronr thecodes berry, the two grains found are covered by a somewhat sweet,sticky, dense substance known as lees or lees liquor. To obtain a highgrade marketable coffee it is important that the lees be removed fromthe grains.- Up to the present time methods adopted for removing thelees have proved to be unsatisfactory, involving loss of considerabletime and also causing an inferior grade of coffee because of failure toabsolutely remove the lees.

Therefore it is the principal object of the present invention to producean apparatus which will be more thoroughly efficient and effectual. forremoving the leesfrom coffee berry grains. To this end there is providedlit) a first stage means for subjecting the coffee berry grams tocirculating water, while imparting to said grams a circulatory down wardmovement or stirring action, meanwhile drawing off the surfaceimpurities, and subsequently transferring the same cof-' fee berrygrains to a second stage means which subjects the grains to circulatingwater, while imparting a, circulatory and downward movement to thegrains, and at the same time maintaining a cleavage-of the impuritieswhich is ejected or caused tobe separated from the coffee berry grains.

WVith the foregoing and other objects in view the invention resides inthe particular provision, relative disposition and function of the partshereinafter fully described.

The nature, of the invention and its distinguishing features andadvantages will appear when the following specificationis read inconnection with the accompanying drawings, in which 7 a Figure 1 is acentral verticalsectional view through the apparatus" of the presentinvention. a I

Fig 2 is a top plan view."

Fig; 8 is a sectional view taken on the line of Fig li Fig. 4 is adetail sectional view showing a modification.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings it will be apparentthat, the apparatus of the present invention includes an upper tank 10and a lower tank 11 which are rigidly held in place by a supporting.

structure or framework 12 of anypreferred construction. The upper tank10 has a water inlet 13, an outlet 14 in the bottom wall thereof whichis cont-rolled by a slide 15, an inlet or funnel 16 carried by the topwall 17, and perforated portions 18 in the side wall, each of whichperforated portions 18 is controlled by a slide 19. Arranged insurrounding relationship with respect to the upper tank 10 is a trough20, the saidtrough being arranged below the perforated portions 18 andhaving an outlet 21; The lower tank 11 has a water inlet 22 and anoutlet 1 above the same is a trough 25 having an outlet 26. The lowertank 11. is in axial alignment with the upper tank 10, is substantiallyof the same diameter. and in'the present instance is somewhat shorterthan the tank 10. i

Stirring mechanism is provided and operates in conjunction with thetanks lOand 11. The said stirring mechanism includes a shaft 27 whoselower end is supported in a stand bearing 28, and whose upper end isjournaled in a roller bearing 29 carried by the top wall 17-. The shaft27 is of two partsv which are coupled together by a coupling 30. Thecoupling 30 permits'ready separation of the tanks. ranged within theupper tank 10 are arms or blades 31 which extend radially from theshaft. The arms or blades 31 are arranged in superposed pairsalternately atright angles with respect to each other. Each blade ispitched or disposed at an angle so that when the shaft 27 isrotatedclockwise the Secured to the shaft 27 and ar eta cause a divisionor cleavage.

disposed at an angle so which when the shaft 37' is rotated clockwisethe contents in the lower part of thetank 11 will have in'ipartcdthereto a circulato y and downward movement. 'ihe blades 33 ot whichthere are two are disposed horizontally so as to maintain a balance ofequality between the upper and lower portion of the contents-oi thetank, or in other words to The blades 3 of which there are two pairs arepitched or to cause a circulatory and upward niovenlentv oil the upperportion or" the contents oi the tank.

In order to drive the she ft 27 and the arms or blades connectedthereto,the upper end oi the shaft is provided with a bevel gear whichmeshes with a bevel gear 353 keyed to a shaft mounted in bearings 38,there being a pulley 39 on. the shatt The bearin gs are secured tosuitable supports 40 in the form of ll-bearns attached as at ell to theupper end of the tank 10.

Suitable stutling b?" c :l-Q are provided prevent any le rage the pointswhere the shaft passes through the bottom walls respectively oi thetanks and 11. A suitable collar 43 secured to the shaft 27 and isdisposed against the bearing 29 to prevent vertical movement of theshaft The operation oi the apparatus is as follows: the pulley 39 is setin motion by any suitable source of power. The pulley is caused torotate in a direction which will cause the shaft 2. to turn clockwise.ater is admitted into the cylinder 10 through the pipe 13 until the tankis about one-quarter filled. The raw lees covered cofiee'grains areadmitted into the tank 10 through the funnel 15 until there is littlemore cotlieo grains than water. The blades 31 keep the in'xture ofcoffee grains and water in a continuous circulatory motion and at thesame time presses the coffee grains down softlyv against the bottom ofthe tank. As the lees is partly washed on the coffee grains, the watergets more dense or sort ot'syrupy and moves upwardly. The slides 19 arepartly opened occasionally so that the syrupy waterinay flow outcarrying the lees it has dissolved, while fresh wateris constantly cominthe inlet 13. It will, there-tore be apparent that fresh water isadmitted constant ly into the tank 10 while the impure water carryingremoved lees or other impurities flows outjot the tank. hen time enoughhas elapsed, the slide 15 is partly opened so that the coiiiee grainsand water may flow out of the outlet 14 into the lower tank 11, At thesame time more coffee grains are admitted into the upper tank 10 throughthe "funnel 16. It is at this time that the ap yaratus is in fulloperation. and acts con other lees laden cofl'ee grains are admittedinto the upper tank 10. The coilee grains in the lower tank 11 aresubjected to water which is admitted into the tank It through the inlet32 impart to th'ecoti'ee grains a circulatory and downward movement. Atthe same time the blades 253 travel through a horizontal path andneither press downward or upward, but simply equalize the H10 tion andcause a cleavage otthe upper Water, while the blades 34: move thecleavage upwardly and out of the tank 11 into the trough 25. The impurewater entering the trough is led from the same through the outlet 26 toany suitable point. The trough 20 serves for receiving the overflow fromthe tank 10. the impure water entering the said trough is led therefromthrough the outlet 21 to any suitable point. y

When the coffee grains in the lower tank 11 have been freed fronrallless, the slide 24 is moved to an open position to permit the coffeegrains to 'fall into a perforated conveyor which separates the coffeegrains from the water. the coffee grains being conveyed to any suitablepoint.

As shown in Fig. 4t cork and rubber may be used for lining theinside ofeach tank and tior covering the blades, the cork and rubber beingindicated at 50.

It is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to theprecise arrangement of parts. shown and described, as details ofconstruction may be modified and rear- "anged without departing from thespirit of the invention, the scope of which is limited only by the termsof the appended claims.

I claim: 7

1. For removing the lees trom ripe coffee berries whose outer bark hasbeen removed, a washing and stirring apparatus comprising superposedtanks, each tank capable of containing a quantity oi water and ripecoftee berries, each tank having an inlet for introducing the water intothe tank, and each tank uaving an outlet in the bottom wall thereof fordischarging the coilee berries, the upper tank. having side wall liquidoutlets, said upper tank having an inlet for thefintroduetion of thecoffee berries thereinto, i'ne'ans for controlling each ofthe outlets oithe tanks, and stirring means operablerin each tank for stirring thecontents wall thereof for discharging the coffee berries, the upper tankhaving side wall liquid At the same time the blades outlets, said uppertank having an inlet for the introduction of the coffee berriesthereinto, means for controlling each of the outlets of the tanks, andstirring means operable in each tank for stirring the contents therein,said stirring means capable of imparting a circulatory and downwardmovement to the coffee berries within each of the tanks, also acirculatory and upward movement to a portion of the contents in thelower tank.

3. For removing the lees from ripe coffee berries whose outer bark hasbeen removed, a washing and stirring apparatus comprising superposedtanks, each tank capable of containing a quantity of water and ripecoffee berries, each tank having an inlet for introducing the water intothe tank, and each tank having an outlet in the bottom wall thereof fordischarging the coffee berries, the upper tank having side wall liquidoutlets, said upper tank having an inlet for the introduction of thecoffee berries thereinto, means for controlling each of the outlets ofthe tanks, stirring means operable in each tank for stirring thecontents therein, and a trough surrounding the upper tank below the sidewall outlets thereof, said trough having an outlet.

4. An apparatus for removing lees from coffee berries whose outer barkhas been re moved, comprising a first stage means for subjecting thecoffee berries to the action of circulating water while imparting to thecoffee berries a circulatory and downward movement, and a second stagemeans associated with the first stage 'meansfor receiv ing andsubjecting thesaine coffee berries to the action of circulating waterwhile imparting to the coffee berries a circulatory and downwardmovement and an upward movement to the surface water and im-' purities.

An apparatus for removing lees from coffee berries whose outer bark hasbeen removed,comprising a first stage means for subjecting the coffeeberries to the action of circulating water while imparting to the coffeeberries a circulatory and downward movement, and a second stage means.associated with the first stage means for receiving and subjecting thesame coffee berries to the action of circulating water while impartingto the coffee berries a? circulatory and downward movement and an upwardmovement to the surface water and impurities,

the action ofcirculatfng water while imparting to the coffee berries acirculatory and downward movement and an upward movement to the surfacewater and impurities, said first stage means including devices arrangedat diflerent levels for controlling the circulation of the water.

7. An apparatus for removing lees from coffee berries whose outer barkhas been removed, con'iprising a closed upper tank, a

lower tank open at the top and arranged beneath the upper tank inalignment therewith, means for introducing water into each tank at thebottom thereof, said upper tank having an inlet for the introduction ofcoffee berries thereinto,said'upper tank having an outlet fordischarging the coffee berries therefrom into the lower tank, said lowertank having an outlet for discharging the coffee berries therefrom, theupper-tank having liquid outlets in the side wall thereof, means forcontrolling each of the outlets of each of the tanks, and means operablein each tank for stirring the contents therein.

8. An apparatus for removing lees from coffee berries whose outer barkhas been removed, comprising a closed upper tank, a lower tank open atthe top and arranged beneath the upper tank in alignment therewith,means for introducing water into each tank at the bottom thereof, saidupper tank having an inlet for the introduction of coffee berriesthereinto, said upper tank having an outlet for discharging the coffeeberries therefrom into the lower tank, said lower tank having an outletfor discharging the coffee berries therefrom, the upper tank havingliquid outlets in the side wall thereof, means for controlling each ofthe outlets of each of the tanks, means operable in each tank forstirring the contents therein, and a trough' having an outletsurrounding each tank to receive outflowing liquid therefrom.

HERBERT LEOPOLD HESS.

Ill)

